RONCEVERTE, W.Va. - Verizon has raised the speed limit in Ronceverte by expanding the availability of its digital subscriber line (DSL) Internet access service to more consumers and businesses in this Greenbrier County community.

Recent upgrades to Verizon's network in Ronceverte have allowed more customers to take advantage of Verizon's affordable high-speed Internet access, as well as other great new offerings, said H. Stan Cavendish, president of Verizon West Virginia.

With more than 80 percent of its customers located in small towns and rural communities, Verizon West Virginia has been the state's leading provider of broadband Internet access in rural areas, with DSL service available at more than 225 locations across the Mountain State. Verizon plans to have all 142 of its West Virginia switching centers DSL-capable by the end of this year, expanding the availability of DSL service to nearly 350 communities across the state, with additional DSL deployment planned for 2007.

Eligible Verizon residential customers can subscribe to DSL service for as little as $17.99 per month and combine it with various telephone calling plans that offer unlimited nationwide long-distance service for as little as $44.99 per month. For the convenience of one-stop shopping, DIRECTV service from Verizon also can be added for as little as $39.99 per month, providing residential customers with unlimited use of their telephone, high speed-Internet access and in-home video service. Verizon also offers DSL plans for business customers.

Verizon Freedom Essentials offers unlimited local, regional and domestic long-distance calling with the three most popular calling features - Home Voice Mail, Call Waiting and Caller ID - for as little as $49.99 a month. Verizon Freedom Value, offering any-distance, unlimited domestic calling but no calling features, costs $44.99 and is the company's lowest-priced any-distance calling plan in West Virginia. Verizon customers can combine either of these plans with the company's high-speed Internet access services and entertainment services from DIRECTV, enabling them to receive all their home communications needs in one package.

Verizon offers two high-speed DSL Internet service plans to qualifying consumers, one with maximum connection speeds of up to 768 Kbps (kilobits per second) downstream and 128 Kbps upstream and another with maximum connection speeds of up to 3.0 Mbps (megabits per second) downstream and 768 kbps upstream.*

The DIRECTV Total Choice package offers more than 155 channels of 100 percent digital video and music programming, providing a higher-quality picture and sound than cable's older analog signals. The package also offers the ability to add advanced services such as video recorders, interactivity and high-definition programming. Customers with a qualifying local service package and DIRECTV service can get bundle discounts and a single bill for calling, Internet and entertainment services.

* NOTE: Actual (throughput) speeds will vary.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), a Dow 30 company, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 55 million customers nationwide. Verizon Business operates one of the most expansive wholly-owned global IP networks. Verizon Telecom is deploying the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network to deliver the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services to customers. Based in New York, Verizon has a diverse workforce of more than 252,000 and generates annual consolidated operating revenues of approximately $90 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.